


Ich Heb Ab

by MaskedMildew



Category: Punch-Out!! (Video Games)
Genre: 'slightly'-outdated view on masculinity but what's new, Gen, world events maybe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 12:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14308608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaskedMildew/pseuds/MaskedMildew
Summary: Von Kaiser takes a moment to reflect in a time of great stress.





	Ich Heb Ab

The train-ride over to the park had been quiet. That wasn't too abnormal, but every now and again you'd hear people chatting, or someone chuckling, or a child, or a fully-grown man fall asleep and begin snoring. 

No, today's 'quiet' had just been somber silence.

Von Kaiser believed this to be both respectable and far too out-of-the-ordinary for his comfort. The reason he had decided to leave for the park in the first place was the hope that he would be able to relax and forget the worries he harboured, but it seemed they followed him wherever he went... Or perhaps that was too self-centered a thought. It wasn't that the worry followed him, it was that the whole of Germany (and many other nations) were encapsulated by it.

Kaiser could brood for hours on the train-ride alone, and it seemed as if his mind truly wanted to focus on that for as long as possible-- It was a better problem to think about than the one that caused it. It felt a bit awkward for the boxer to sit-back on his bench and tell himself, mentally, to get rid of those thoughts.

He tried, and tried again.

It wasn't working, so, he told himself out-loud this time. 

That wasn't working, either. 

Frustration bubbled-up in the man's chest, and that on-top of anxiety was a destructive combo. 

Nothing was in his control. Something had gone wrong, and now everything followed. He couldn't even help himself, how would he fix anything else? What could he do to fix the problem in--

"Tag, Viktor." 

The thoughts were dispelled immediately at the sound of a voice. It was an older gentleman, clad in only his trousers. He must have been sunbathing, noted Kaiser, which was not uncommon for many people, let alone this man in particular. "Guten Morgen, Herr Becker. Das Wetter ist Sonnig, ja?" Kaiser knew him since he was sixteen-- from the bakery that the boxer frequented. Now the old man was retired, but certainly no less present in his life. 

This familiarity made it easy to start a conversation, though it was dull and dry as ever. Neither man seemed to have a problem with this. 

They spoke back-and-forth for a while, and Von Kaiser had only realized how long that 'while' had been once the talking lulled and Mr. Becker brought-up the topic that had been at the forefront of Kaiser's mind since he'd awoken that morning. He wasn't much one for talking, but now he wished Mr. Becker would go back to prattling-on about playing frisbee with his friends in the Englischer Garten. 

Kaiser listened, tense and silent as Mr. Becker continued-on about how much of a **travesty** it was, and how _sad_ his family is, and how **_uneasy_** he is.

Easy-enough for _him_ to say. He didn't have anyone he cared about near the travesty.

As if reading Kaiser's mind, the elderly man quieted-down, dim eyes analyzing the other's stance. "Du bist steif. Wie geht es deinem Freund?" 

"Ich habe keine Ahnung, Herr Becker."  
"Ah... es tut mir Leid."

After that, another bout of silence. It was not helping. Mr. Becker appeared to be quite observant today, however, as he soon gave a small 'Tschuss' to Von Kaiser and left to leave the park for the day.

So once again, the Berliner was left to his thoughts. The harshness and self-deprecation within them had not left during that momentary distraction. They just resumed as if nothing happened. 

'You are anxious and nervous, Kaiser. Men should not let stress get to them. It is pathetic.'

_Pathetic?_ Was he pathetic? That could very-well be the case. He's been through so much, and yet, a man who's only talent is **dancing** had surpassed him within the WVBA. He's experienced so many things, and yet, a mere _child_ who loads **horseshoes** into his boxing gloves is _two circuits_ before him.

Sure, he could fight those two. The chances of winning weren't _completely_ inconceivable, and yet, his rank and record pleaded otherwise. 

The only person people  _would_ expect him to be able to beat is a malnourished, _old_ French boxer. 

**...**

Pathetic? Perhaps. 

But what good is living if your only choices are that and _apathetic?_

"Ein Mann sein, verdammt sein. Verdammt sein." He muttered, allowing himself to finally sit-back against the wood bench. His head lowered, eyes staring at his rough, worn hands. Below them were dandelions, new and bright. And even below them was green and brown grass, and even further below was dirt, chock-full of more life than people could imagine.

Von Kaiser bent forwards, a finger and a thumb plucking a once-living dandelion from it's stem. He turned-over the pesky plant in his fingers, examining it though his thoughts were elsewhere.

It was far too easy for someone to take a life, he mused. 

Before he could mull on that thought process for long, though, a quick vibration came from his hip. Dropping the dandelion to the ground, Kaiser straightened-out, patting either pocket to locate his phone before doing so and pulling it out. His brows had furrowed, and they furrowed deeper while he was reading the new message on the screen.

'[yes we are fine please do not worry. thank you for your voicemail im sorry i could not pick up. call me later please.]'

The message was brief and simple, but it gave Kaiser an immeasurable amount of relief. His stomach relaxed, and his shoulders lightened. He hadn't even realized how rigid his posture was or how tense he'd been. Considering his usual stance, that was saying something.

Kaiser melted back onto the bench, allowing himself the rest this one time. The phone was placed on his thigh, two hands reaching upwards to run their fingers through his hair. A hand remained over half of his face, as he looked up to the sky.

'We are fine'. Good, good. But what of the people who aren't? What of the people who did such a heinous thing? What of people in general?

How could 'fine' exist in a world where hate was so common? 

Every year, something new. Another attack, another corrupt leader, another questionable law. 

We've grown as a species. Yes, that can't be denied, but we still have far too much to fix. 

Kaiser's hand ran it's fingers through his hair once again, before finally falling to his lap alongside the other. His chin remained up, however. Eyes were trained on the fluttering leaves of a tree mere metres away. His mind momentarily left him as he allowed himself a moment to watch the uncaring, peaceful display.

If such a thing can exist, how can it exist alongside us? Murderous, malicious beings. We were never meant to be here. The universe would _never_ intend for something as beautiful as nature to become tarnished by creatures that gained too much free will.

In the back of his mind, Von Kaiser remembered a certain field in France. It was now so dented and scarred that the once-flat ground had become permanently uneven. 

But grass grew on that field, now. The mistakes from nearly a century ago had, in the end, provided life. The field's past was never forgotten, but the grass grew without care. The sheep grazed without a second thought. Life went on.

"Hm..." He hummed to himself, successfully breaking-out of his deep thought. While he'd been brooding, he'd leaned forward on the edge of the bench and had begun to examine that pulled dandelion once more. "C'est la vie..." He commented, bitterly. Kaiser wasn't sure who he was speaking to, either. Was it the dandelion, who would wither away and die? Or was it himself? 

"C'est la vie." A corner of his moustache turned-up, and he gave a facetious chuckle before dropping the plant and placing both of his hands firmly on his knees, pushing himself off of the bench. Looking at the sky, he'd realized he'd been out here brooding for quite some time. 

When had he gotten to the park? Around eighteen after twelve, and now it was nearly halfway to four. Dinner was always at five, and he still needed to buy groceries. He should be leaving now.

Just as he took a step, another vibration came from his pocket. Kaiser paused and grabbed-up the phone he'd replaced only a moment ago, squinting at the screen (the sun always made it so dark!) to find that a certain boxer had posted to a social media account. Upon further investigation, Von Kaiser found it was a bunch of well-wishes, thank-you's and 'be safe's. All of the other boxers were showing support in some shape or form. Even the horseshoe-toting _child_ had changed his profile picture so it had the special 'filter' over it.

... Hm. Well, Kaiser supposed that was as good a show of support as anything. It wasn't like many people could do much else, at the moment.

The phone was pocketed again, and the boxer began the quiet walk back to the station. The train would be arriving soon.

There would be people on the train. 

The bread at the bakery would still be fresh.

The tree's leaves would be rustling. The grass would grow in the fields, and the dandelion would regrow.

Von Kaiser sighed, and a small smile settled onto his face.

**Life went on. C'est la vie.**


End file.
